We'll Always Have Paris - Part II
by Ataraxie
Summary: Sequel to We'll Always Have Paris. A year after their affair, Severus Snape and Hermione Granger attend the annual Potions Conference in London. Then begins a little game of cat and mouse between them. Is somebody going to be hurt in the process or will they finally find peace - and love - in each other's arms?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**This is the second part of my story _We'll Always Have Paris. _Please read the first part before this chapter, since it will help you to understand it. Thank you! **

* * *

><p><strong>We'll Always Have Paris <strong>

**Part II **

**Chapter 1**

* * *

><p><em><strong>A year later<strong>_

It was late at night. The moon was shining in the parisian sky, not disturbed in the slightest by the few clouds that were threatening it. Despite the fact that the bedroom was in a total darkness, the brilliant satellite was enough for Severus to see the frame of the woman who was currently on his bed, her head bobbing at a slow pace while he tightened his grip on her head. From time to time, she let out a moan, as if she knew perfectly well that the vibrations coming from her mouth were enough to drive a man crazy. Unfortunately for her, Severus wasn't a man who could come into a woman's mouth just with this trick, no matter how pleasurable it was.

The Potions Master closed his eyes, his mouth half-open, and pressed a little more on the woman's head. He started to caress her blonde hair and noticed how soft it was. She was an amazing woman, no doubt about it. Her curves had been enough to get his attention during the dinner, and for the first time in months, Severus had decided that he had enough to live a monastic life. Hell with the things that he had said to himself in the past; he needed to _fuck_, to take every little thing that a woman wanted to give him. And this woman was perfectly made for this kind of thing, he had to admit it.

When she let go of her cock and looked up at him, Severus frowned and groaned.

"Is something wrong?," he asked, trying to hide the lust in his voice.

"You're taking a lot of time to come. Usually, boys are quick when I use my mouth on them...," she purred, a wicked smile over her face.

Severus raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes looking directly into the blue ones' of the blonde woman.

"I am not a _boy_," he retorted, his voice cold. "Now, if you could resume what you were doing...," he continued, gently pushing on her head to force her to take his cock back into her mouth.

He let out a heavy sigh when she made her tongue roll around his shaft and started to suck him harder. How had he been able to live without these kinds of sensations during all these months? It was heaven on Earth, it was the most amazing thing that he had ever experienced. She then tried to deep-throat him, without success, but Severus smirked when he noticed that she was trying so hard. He would obviously reward her for trying so hard to please him. What was her name again? He didn't remember, but, somehow, he knew that it was a French one. But for now, he thought while starting to move his hips to meet her mouth, her body was the only thing that he needed, and he intended to take advantage of every part of it.

**XxX**

Hermione was locked into her laboratory, like every day of the week. Everything was going wrong with the potion she was currently working on, and she sighed out of frustration. She had spent weeks working on it, thinking that it would be her masterpiece that she would be able to introduce at the annual Potions conference. To make things worse, she was the Potions Mistress who would presided at the conference this year, and she couldn't do so with such a crappy potion. In all honesty, she could, of course, but after her success of last year, she didn't want to be the laughing stock anymore; she had been during so many years, mostly given her age, and it was the last thing that she wanted to be right now.

Out of exasperation, she took her wand and made the potion disappear. She couldn't do anything more with it anyway, even if she had spent all the night working on it.

"A cup of coffee would do me good...," she muttered to herself while leaving her stool and heading to the door. It was a good thing to have her own laboratory in her own flat. This way, she wasn't disturbed by anybody, like it had been more than usual when she was a student at the Potions Institute.

But an owl could always disturb her, and it was the case right now. She went to the window and opened it to let the bird of prey come in before giving it a treat and freeing it from its burden. The owl left her flat a second later, and Hermione took the parchment with her before going to the kitchen. She put it on the dining table before preparing a cup of coffee. A few minutes were enough for her to do so, and she sat at the table with her hot coffee in her hand, and the parchment in the other.

"_Dear Hermione, _

_It's been days since the last time we saw each other. I know that the conference will take place in just a few days and that you are probably busy, but what would you think about joining me for a coffee anytime soon? I really want to see to you._

_Edward_"

Hermione put the piece of parchment back on the table and sighed. Damn. This Edward was more than annoying. She had thought that she had made herself clear last week, when she had politely said him that she wasn't interested by a romantic relationship with him, but it was obviously not the case. Not that Edward McKingley was a bad guy, not at all. He was charming, handsome, but... he wasn't what Hermione was looking for right now. She just wanted to be alone and to focus on her work, and it was something that Edward didn't seem to understand this point.

She thought about answering him right now, but she quickly postponed it. She had a lot of things to do related to the conference today, and she was already late.

**XxX**

"What is it?," Severus' one-night-stand drawled, while Severus was preparing coffee for two. He rolled his eyes, cursing himself at the same time. He knew that he should have asked her to leave just after their little shag, but he had fallen asleep soon after he came into her tight channel, and they had slept together.

He joined her into the living room, and noticed that she had taken the piece of parchment that he had received the day prior.

"Nothing important," he said in a low voice before handing her a cup of coffee.

"Thank you," she muttered with a smile before looking back at the parchment. "It seems pretty important to me, sorry to contradict you. This kind of annual conference is always such a big event in the Wizarding World."

"I have never felt myself at ease during these meetings," Severus swiftly retorted while sitting into his favourite armchair.

"Well, I can understand that you are not this kind of person," she purred before sipping her coffee. "You don't really like to be surrounded by all these people I guess... It seems to me that you prefer... the intimacy of your flat... or of your bedroom when you have the opportunity to share it...," she continued, staring at him as if she was expecting something from him.

Severus smirked. "I cannot deny it. But, to be perfectly honest with you, most of the time, I prefer to be alone. Like now."

She stayed still, her mouth half-open, as if she wanted to say something but she didn't have the occasion to think about it.

"Is it a subliminal message?," she eventually asked, the piece of parchment still into her left hand.

"I do not even think that it is a subliminal one," he continued, still smirking.

Severus saw her jaw clenched, and she slowly put her cup of coffee back on the table, along with the parchment that she was holding.

"Well, I see that my presence isn't necessary anymore," she said, her lips pursed. "Thank you for the cup of coffee, Severus."

"You know where the door is," he stated with a curt nod, looking at her leaving the living room, her high heels clicking on the wooden floor.

She didn't even answer to him, and seconds later, the Potions Master was alone. He continued to sip his coffee, and after a few moments, his eyes fell upon the parchment that his _friend_ had read earlier. With a frown, he bent over to take it, and he read it – for the umpteenth time.

"_Dear Mr. Snape,_

_We are more than pleased to invite you to the 27__th__ annual Potions Conference which will take place in London this year, from June 26__th__ to June 29__th__. More than sixty Potions Masters and Mistresses are invited this year, which is an improvement compared to the other years. _

_Please confirm your attendance before June 20__th__. _

_Yours sincerely, _

_The 27__th__ Potions Conference President, _

_Miss Hermione Granger_"

He chuckled when he read the last few words of the letter. _Miss Hermione Granger_... A lot of memories came back to him, and his eyes wandered over the couch, the same couch where they had had sex a year earlier. He could almost hear her moans, her cries of pleasure when she had reached her climax, along with her kisses full of passion.

How could he ever forget about her?

Truth to be told, he had thought several times about going to London and knocked at her door, in order to revive the flame that once had burned between them. More than once he had wanted to go and take her in his arms and make love to her furiously, making her scream out of delight. Was it just a sexual drive? Maybe. Moreover, he knew perfectly well that, after the way he had told her to leave and forget about everything that had happened between them, Hermione Granger would never want to pick things where they had left them a year ago.

"_Unfortunately_...," he muttered, his eyes still focused on the young woman's name.

But Hermione Granger, this woman who had driven him crazy during the last conference, would have a surprise in a few days.

A surprise bearing the name of Severus Snape.

* * *

><p><strong>In my opinion, this part 2 will be a 4-chapters story too. Don't hesitate to tell me what you think about it!<strong>


	2. Do you need a friendly hand?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

* * *

><p><strong>We'll Always Have Paris<strong>

**Part II**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

><p><em>These events take place one year after We'll Always Have Paris - Part I. Hermione is 26, while Severus is 45-year-old.<em>

* * *

><p>Less than ten hours. The Potions conference would take place the morning after, and Hermione couldn't sleep. Lying on her bed, she let out a heavy sigh, thinking about all the things she needed to do tomorrow morning: she needed to make sure that everything was perfect about the timing of everyone's speech, to see if they had received enough programs, and above all, to make sure that everyone had confirmed their presence.<p>

She realised that she hadn't received at least ten confirmations; and in the middle of these ten or more confirmations, she hadn't received Severus Snape's one. She sat up on her bed to get rid of her t-shirt – summer was coming much earlier than usual this year – and raised her hair in a messy bun before lying down once again.

Severus Snape wouldn't come this year.

Was she annoyed about it, or worse, sad to know that he wouldn't be there? Hermione didn't know. Maybe that it was a good thing to know that he would not come at the conference, especially this year, since she was the president of this edition. She was sure that she wouldn't be able to look at him after all that they shared together.

Slowly, the Potions Mistress closed her eyes, seeking for sleep. But unfortunately for her, sleep wasn't the thing that came first into her mind that night. Images of her sleepless nights with a man full of passion, full of lust for her came into her mind, diverting her from the simple idea of sleeping.

Her mouth half-open, she let her hand slide on her flat stomach, gently caressing her soft skin. When her right hand entered in contact with her panties, she bit her lower lip, knowing that if she began what she was thinking about, there was no turning back. Suddenly, the image of Severus between her legs, gently sucking on her clit invaded her mind, making her moan. That was the moment where Hermione lost all control over her body: the only thing that she wanted was to satisfy her primitive desires, no matter what.

Her hand slid under the lace barrier, searching for this little thing that Severus had caressed with so much ease, so much professionalism. She could almost feel the wetness of his tongue over the little nub of flesh, even one year after. He wasn't there with her, and yet... His hands' on her hips, his slender fingers sliding into her dripping core... _Everything_, she could feel everything that he had done with her body.

Feeling herself wet enough, Hermione left her clit and, slowly, she entered a single finger into her pussy. This time, she didn't even pay attention to the moan of pleasure that escaped from her mouth. She just arched her back, enough to feel her finger stroking over her G-point, bringing her so much pleasure into a small amount of time. She would give anything to be with a man at this exact moment, to feel a man's hands over her shaking body, to have something _bigger_ than a single finger inside her tight core. And she didn't just want _any_ man; she wanted to have Severus Snape's hands, Severus' mouth, Severus' cock at her disposal...

Without even thinking about it, another finger join the first one, and Hermione brought her knees against her chest to have a better angle of penetration. Her eyes closed, she thought about this smirk, the same that Severus used to have when she was alone with him, the same that had haunted her during so many nights since last June...

Soon, Hermione couldn't hold it any longer: her orgasm washed over her, making her scream with delight. She quickly removed her fingers and continued to caress her clit until the last remain of her orgasm was gone. Then, she lazily opened her eyes, and bit her lower lip, slightly amused by the situation, and not at all ashamed. After all, it wasn't the first time that she masturbated over the memory of her former Professor, and, truth to be told, she had done even worse–or better?–with him...

**XxX**

"Hermione?"

Her attention focused on the pile of parchments that she was reading since seven o'clock, Hermione didn't make a move when she heard her name. She had to count if every person who had came at the hotel this morning was on the "_confirmed" _list: she couldn't risk not to have enough rooms for them.

"Hermione?"

She was almost at the end of the alphabetical list, but this _person_ seemed to be more than eager to speak with her.

"Yes?," she said swiftly, turning around to look at the tiresome person. _Edward_.

His bright smile, along with his dark hair could be enough to make Hermione fall under his charm... in another life. But right now, she was pissed to see him, especially when she had so many things to do before the beginning of the conference.

"Edward... I thought that you would arrive with the other guests," she managed to say with a little smile, not making a move toward him.

"Well, I thought that it would be a good idea to make you a surprise, you know," the Potions Master explained, his hands buried into the pockets of his trousers: Edward hated to wear a wizard robe. "Besides, the conference will begin in less than one hour."

Hermione quickly looked down at her watch and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Damn, I didn't even realise th–... I'm sorry, Edward, but I need to make sure that every participant of the conference is here already. I'll see you later."

Even if it wasn't a really good news to know that she was already late, it was at least enough for her to get rid of Edward. Edward wasn't really his name actually: he was French, so his real name would be _Edouard_. He had moved to London six months ago, and since then, he was working at St-Mungo's, preparing all the necessary potions for the hospital: that's where she met him, four months ago. Edward hadn't been invited during the last conferences, but Hermione had thought that it would be a good idea to invite him this year. But so far, she was regretting it.

Hermione headed to the lounge of the hotel, a smile of convenience over her face. She needed to act professional, despite the fact that she was thinking that things were out of control already. _Breathe, everything will be alright_, she continued to mutter inwardly, doing her best to look confident. Almost all of the Potions Masters and Mistresses were already here, casually installed on the sofas of the lounge, chatting together.

"Hello everyone," Hermione said after amplifying her voice with her wand, and everyone looked at her. "I am Hermione Granger, and I am more than pleased to see you here today. As you may know, I will be the president of this conference. I hope that you'll be satisfied by our welcome, by your hotel room and by the conference itself. If someone didn't send back his, her answer about his or her presence at the conference, please let me know. It's not a problem, but I prefer to be aware if we've got a plus one. I'll send someone when the conference will be about to begin. Thank you, and enjoy the free drinks."

She was about to turn around when someone raise from his armchair, capturing her attention. This black wizard robe... Hermione knew that almost every Potions Master in this robe was wearing the same robe, but... She frowned and squinted a little to see his features.

"I think that I am the plus one that you were talking about just a second ago," the man drawled, not moving from where he was.

He was still far from where she was, and more than fifty other persons were between them. But it wasn't enough for Hermione not to recognize the owner of this characteristic voice. She could have recognized it among a dozen of other people.

"Mr. Snape," she simply said, giving him a curt nod from afar.

She then waited for him to come toward her, which he did. Slowly, as if he wanted her to realise that it was really him, that the man who had made love to her with such passion a year ago and who had told her to leave his flat without even asking her if she was okay with that... It was him in front of her, walking toward her with this typical smirk over his face. It was him who took her hand into his large one and put a kiss upon it, not leaving her eyes while doing so. Hermione was sure that everyone had their eyes fixed on them, but she just didn't care. She was just looking at this man, this cynical man who had been at the origin of so much nights of pleasure for her, but, at the same time, at the origin of so many nights of frustration.

"You didn't send back your answer," Hermione noticed, taking her hand back, as if she was burned by his kiss.

"I did not think that it was necessary," Severus muttered, and Hermione realised that she was the only one who could hear his voice; the other guests were too far from where they were.

"And why did you think so? You are not used to attend this kind of conference, Mr. Snape."

"I have to admit that last year in Paris was... quite unique. But I thought about it and I realised that I wanted to experience it again."

His voice was low, as low as when he had whispered so many depraved things to her ear. Hermione shivered, remembering these hours that they had spent together. Was he talking about the two nights that they had spent together? His smirk was a proof enough of it.

She tried to avoid his eyes, his black eyes full of amusement... It was her weakness: his eyes. It had been one of the only things that she had seen during their lovemaking after all: his eyes fixed on her, as if he wanted to engrave every fragment of her face, every fragment of her body to have at least a memory after her departure.

"Good for you. But nobody said that I wanted to experience it again," she whispered and smiled in a professional way. "But don't worry: I'll do what is necessary to book you a room. I hope that you'll find your stay pleasant."

With that said, Hermione turned around and left the lounge. She could feel Severus' burning eyes on her back, but she didn't dare look at him. Beside her surprise, she didn't know if she was annoyed to see him or, on the contrary, pleased to know that Severus Snape, the man who had driven her crazy a year ago, was here, just a few feet from where she was.

He was here, and the only thing that she wanted to do right now was to give him a taste of his own medicine.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: Alright... Things are not so good in my life right now. There was a water damage in my flat, Silent Hill style - no one knows where it comes from, but you know, you still have to pay... I've got like a billion things to do, between the insurance, moving all my stuff, cleaning everything... But I managed to continue this story (and I thank my supportive boyfriend who really helped me to go through this, took care of a lot of things and gave me some time for myself - some time well used in front of my computer), and I hope that you liked it. <em>

_I didn't have the opportunity to thank all of you through PM because of all of this, but be sure that your words are read and cherished. So thank you to **worrywart, Btterflykiss69, note-a-flat, Bellastewart11, carmel4lyfe, StylisticIgnorance, wintersong1954, marianna79, articcat621, Rochester'sJane, chyaraskiss, sfuri, NickTessFan, Aesalys, OnlyAMonster, Blue night fairy, Jasmin Jade xx, LoveInTheBattleField, TakersSoulMate, lupuslady and a guest**! You are all amazing._

_I hope to hear from you soon. :) _


	3. Game On

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

* * *

><p><strong>We'll Always Have Paris<strong>

**Part II**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

><p>They were all there; sitting right in front of her, looking at Hermione while she cleared her throat, visibly intimidated by the situation.<p>

A few Potions Masters had expressed their concern when they had learned that she would be the conference president this year. Many of them had said that she was too young, that she wasn't experienced enough to have such a responsibility. They weren't wrong on a point: yes, she was young, younger than all of them. But she was experimented; she had attended every conference during the last five years, and she knew all of them. She didn't just know all of them; she knew how to deal with them.

But there was just one person that she wasn't so sure about how to handle: Severus Snape.

He had taken a seat right in front of her, and she was doing her best not to look at him. Not that he was not attractive to her eyes; but she didn't want to be disturbed by this smirk that was over his face since the beginning of the conference. She just wanted to say her speech and to flee from this room.

During more than ten minutes, she talked about the conference, introduced the Potions Masters and Mistresses who would present their work this year, and took some time to take stock of the program of the evening.

With a smile, Hermione left the stage and headed to her place at the first row, just a few chairs from Severus Snape. The first Potions Master took her place behind the lectern and started to talk about his work, enough to make Hermione forget about her former professor's presence not so far from her. She didn't even notice that he was muttering some things to his neighbours, doing his best not to disturb the doctoral atmosphere of the conference room.

Eventually, Hermione noticed some movements next to her, and she quickly looked at her left, just to see Severus Snape swap his seat with another Potions Master – right next to her.

She held her breath, and started to play with her pen over her knees. How dared him? Hermione felt her cheeks turn red, and she took a deep breath, trying to release the tension that was invading her whole body. She continued to look straight in front of her, but it wasn't enough not to feel Severus' breath next to her ear.

"Relax...," he muttered, his face slightly tilted toward hers. "You do not want people to notice how tensed you are when I am close to you, do you?"

His voice was like in her dirtiest dreams; low, slow, seductive. How could he know that she was feeling this way next to him after the way she had welcomed him a few hours prior in the lounge? Hermione had made sure not to show any sign of disturbance when she had seen him, even if, inwardly, she had felt so many things, things that she couldn't talk about because they were so depraved, so uncalled-for.

Hermione saw that his hand was close to her thigh, but she moved a little not to be touched by him – unconsciously or not.

"What is this supposed to mean?," Severus asked in a whisper, noticing this little backward movement.

"_Don't_," Hermione just whispered back, her attention still turned to the Potions Master at the lectern.

"Oh, I see. You prefer to wait until tonight and the intimacy of my room... or maybe yours?"

She shivered, under both his voice and the intrusive caress of his breath over the bare skin of her neck. The Potions Mistress at her right cleared her throat, and Hermione thought during a second that she was well aware of the scene that was taking place next to her.

"We are in public," she muttered, hoping that it would be enough for Severus to stop his advances; she knew that she was so close to give up, and it was the last thing that she wanted for now.

"And is it a problem for you?"

Eventually, Hermione turned her head, inviting Severus to step back. His eyes, black as the night, were still fixed on her, and Hermione swallowed with great difficulty.

"It is a problem for me to have you here," she finally answered, looking straight at him the whole time. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

She slowly got up and left the conference room, her black robes swirling around her legs. To someone who asked her if everything was alright while she was heading to the back door, she said that she wasn't feeling well – the stress, maybe, she explained with a smile.

Once outside, she leaned on the closest wall and breathed heavily.

This man would be the death of her.

**XxX**

A few minutes passed, and Hermione was starting to calm down. She needed to think of something else, of _somebody_ else, or otherwise she would loose her mind. Severus Snape, this man who had touched her with so much ease, this man who had given her a few orgasms in just two nights, he was there, and, as far as she knew it, he wanted to pursue her again.

Suddenly, the back door of the conference room opened, and Hermione didn't move when she saw Edward a few feet from her.

"Are you alright?," he asked with a frown, not knowing if he should come near her or give her some space.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said with a nod. "I was just a little disturbed by the heat in the conference room, and you know, with all the stress I was under these last weeks... I guess that it wasn't a good combination," she lied in a laugh.

Edward smiled, visibly satisfied by this explanation.

"To be honest, I thought that you wanted to avoid someone," he explained with a grin.

Hermione forgot to breathe during a second. "How come?"

"I was about to come and see you when you got up in a hurry and left the room. Parkins' presentation was quite boring if you want my opinion."

"I don't even know what he was talking about," Hermione admitted.

"Well, you're not missing much."

"I guess so," she smiled.

Edward put his hands in his trousers' pockets and cleared his throat – like every time when he was a little embarrassed about something.

"I was thinking... Will we be next to each other during the dinner? I know that you are the one who made the seating chart."

Hermione frowned, as if she was trying to remember if Edward would be at her table or not. She had made this seating chart days ago, and, to be honest, it wasn't the most important thing that she had made in the past days. But she was almost sure that Edward wasn't at her table.

"I don't really remember, I'm sorry," she lied with ease, not wanting to hurt his feelings. "But you know, even if we are not at the same table, I am sure that we will find a way to talk further in the upcoming days, be sure of it."

Edward nodded, and a smile lightened his face. He was truly handsome, Hermione couldn't deny that. His dark and undisciplined hair was shiny, and his blue eyes were so different from Severus' obsidian ones... She shook her head to clear every thought of this insensitive bastard and smiled back at Edward; for the first time in weeks, she found him _attractive_.

**XxX**

At the dinner, Edward wasn't at the same table as Hermione.

Severus was.

Hermione was fuming. She was pretty sure that she had reserved a few places at the other tables for the unexpected guests, but she was also sure that she hadn't reserved a place right next to her for one of them.

"How did you do it?," she asked with a fake smile plastered over her face to hide her anger.

"I know people...," Severus vaguely explained before taking his glass of wine, urging her to do the same in order to clink glasses. "To our reunion, Miss Granger," he muttered, visibly satisfied by his little trick.

During the whole dinner, Hermione did her best to avoid him, but it was hard; every person at their table seemed to conspire against her to make her give up. But she was stronger than that, and she knew that she could go through this conference without ending in a bed – or somewhere else – with Severus Snape.

Edward was just two tables from her, and from time to time, he managed to catch her eyes and smile at her. Of course, Hermione smiled back during these times, and she quickly noticed that Severus didn't seem to be pleased by this new man in town.

"Who is he?" he finally asked in a whisper when the desserts arrived.

"One of my colleagues," Hermione explained, an eyebrow raised.

"_Just_... a colleague?"

"Is it any of your concern?"

"I do not like to share what is mine," he purred, his intense eyes burning her skin.

"I am not _yours_," she retorted, offended, but at the same time aroused by his words.

"Do not be so sure about it."

"I can say you the same thing."

"You would not dare."

"And why not?," Hermione asked, eager to know his reason.

"Because you would not think a word of it," Severus explained with a smirk. "We can skip the part where you play the offended woman, Miss Granger, and go to my room right now," he continued next to her ear.

At the same moment, Edward got up from his chair and Hermione looked at him while he was coming toward them. She forced herself to smile, despite the things that Severus had just whispered to her a second prior.

"May I interrupt you?," Edward asked, a little disturbed by Severus' closeness with Hermione.

"Yes, of course," Hermione quickly answered. "I was planning to leave too, so..."

"Can I accompany you to your room then?," Edward offered, eliciting a real smile from the young woman this time.

"It would be a pleasure."

She took Edward's hand and got up, looking at Severus' face; he was pale, like he had seen a ghost, or several of them. This time, she was the one to smirk.

"Good evening, Master Snape. Enjoy your dessert," she said before leaving the dinning room with Edward.

Severus didn't stop looking at her until she was out of sigh, his jaw clenched. Obviously, the witch wanted to play.

If it was what she truly wanted...

_Game on._

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, I know, it's been quite a long time, and I'm truly sorry. So many things to do, so many things to think about... Damn, I'm on my knees almost every evening when I come back home. On top of that, I also need to find myself a new home in another town for my schooling too. So yeah, I have a lot of things to do these days.<strong>

**I'm amazed to see how many of you are following this story, THANK YOU! **

**I hope that you liked this chapter enough to let me know what you think of it. :) **

**Thanks again for reading this story! **


	4. We need to talk

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

* * *

><p><strong>We'll Always Have Paris<strong>

**Part II**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

><p>"Are you alright?"<p>

Edward's soft voice made Hermione smile while she was walking toward her room.

"Yes, perfectly fine. You?"

"Fine as well. But I thought that you were upset to be close to Severus Snape in the dinning room. I guess that I was wrong," the young man added with a side glance, peering at any sign of disturbance coming from Hermione.

"I was not _upset_," she corrected. "I was just not so pleased to be next to him, that's a difference."

"May I ask you why?"

"He used to be my Potions teacher," Hermione explained, doing her best to smile to release her tension.

"He taught you well since you are now an amazing Potion Mistress."

"I am not complaining about his teaching skills. I am just not fond of him."

"I can see why," Edward added in a chuckle.

"Can you?"

"Yes. He seems to be terrible when it comes to manners and to be friendly. But he was very talkative with you though."

"It wasn't a pleasant conversation," Hermione almost cut him off while searching for her key in her bag. "Well, Edward, thank you for accompany me up to here."

"My pleasure," he retorted before taking her right hand into his own and putting a gentle kiss upon it. "I would love to spend more time with you in the upcoming days, Hermione."

"It would not be an easy task given the fact that I need to supervise the conference and..."

"I know, and I can wait... If you are ready to give me the opportunity to know you better in the future, I'll wait."

Hermione held her breath, knowing that Edward wanted to know if there was any chance for them to be involved in more than a friendship in the future by asking her that. But while she was wondering what she should tell him, she couldn't help but think about Severus Snape, the man who was so close and yet so far at this exact moment. She had shared just two nights with him a year ago, but it had been enough for her to be disturbed by his presence, to be disturbed by her feelings for him.

_Feelings?, _her inner self interrupted her. No, there were no feelings of any kind involved here. She was just annoyed by what he had done to her, annoyed by his coldness toward her when she had been about to ask him if he wanted to see her again, one day... Hermione was not the kind of woman who would stay here, waiting for a man to come – or not. She was definitely more than that, and remembering how disdainful Severus Snape was, how misogynist his attitude had been one year ago was enough to make her think about a lot of questions – but not the question that Edward just asked her, unfortunately for him.

"Hermione?"

The latter blinked several times, her hand still captured by Edward's firm grip.

"Yes... Well, I don't know, Edward. I don't want to give you false hope, but in the same time, I've got the feeling that we can get along well, so..."

"So give me a chance," Edward insisted. "I'm not asking you to go out with me, or to be my girlfriend right away – even if I'm not going to deny that this idea can be highly attractive to me –, but... just give me a chance. If we are made to remain friends, then be it."

His sincere smile made Hermione's heart melt, and she eventually gave up.

"Alright," she muttered. "It would be a pleasure to know you better, Edward."

The former Gryffindor wasn't sure whether it was a good idea or not to say yes to Edward McKingley. Just a day prior, she was still annoyed by his attempts to be close to her, and yet... yet she had accepted to give him the chance to spend some quality time with her in the future. She gave a hint of a smile and freed her hand from Edward's one.

"I guess that it's time for me to say you good night," he muttered, his right hand now buried into his untamed mane of black hair.

"I could not agree more," a low voice answered him, making Hermione jump.

Edward turned around, surprised to notice that they weren't alone anymore. While doing so, he gave Hermione the opportunity to be face to face with the person who just interrupted them.

"What are you doing here?," her voice almost erupted from her chest, tinged with contempt at the sight of Severus Snape.

"I was on my way to my room," he drawled, his right eyebrow raised as if she had just asked the most stupid question ever. "I did not know that I was forbidden to do such a thing."

"You are not," Hermione quickly retorted, almost forgetting Edward's presence by her side. "Good night."

With a last smile for Edward, she quickly disappeared behind the heavy door of her room, her hand on her chest to calm her down.

_Breathe_, she urged herself, her head resting on the cold wall near the door. _Breathe_.

"He is just here for two days, just for two days," she mumbled, hoping that it would be enough for her to rationalize the situation.

During two days, she needed to be respectful to him, to smile to the other Potions Masters and Mistresses, to be focused on her work in order to make a good impression. Everyone should see how good at her work she is, especially _him_.

Furious to herself, Hermione headed to the bathroom, taking a few moments to remover her high heels shoes on her way.

"I don't have to show him such a thing, I have nothing to prove to Severus Snape about my skills when it comes to my work," she muttered to her reflection in the mirror, before strongly taking her wand to remove her make-up.

She just needed to show him how strong she was; how confident she was without him, despite the fact that she had suffered an indignity because of him.

Five minutes passed, then ten, and after thirty minutes passed in the bathroom – fifteen of them spent under the warm water of the shower –, Hermione eventually went back to her bedroom, her mind finally cleared of negative thoughts. Yesterday was another day, and she was determined to prove him that Hermione Granger was not the kind of women he thought the was.

But right when she was about to get under the covers, someone knocked at the door. Once. Twice. Frowning, Hermione hesitated almost a minute, but at the third knock, she put on her dark red negligee and moved toward the door to open it.

She remained still for a second, but the person in front of her broke the silence right away.

"We need to talk," Severus Snape said, his voice showing that he wasn't ready to take "_no_" as an answer.

And indeed, they needed to talk about _many things_.

* * *

><p><strong>Do I really need to say how sorry I am to post this chapter in 2015? Well, life is what it is and I have to admit that I neglected my stories lately. School, the end of my relationship of three years, unusual - and beautiful - encounters... Well, the end of 2014 was quite unique, and it's great this way. <strong>

**Happy New Year to everyone. I hope that this new year will give you everything that you wish for, and more. I plan to write more in the upcoming days, so don't give up on me, pretty please.**

**See you soon. :)**


End file.
